Courtney Karner

Dr. Courtney Karner is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and a member of the Division of Nephrology within the Pak Center for Mineral Metabolism and Clinical Research. He began his faculty career at Duke University in 2015 and moved his laboratory to UT Southwestern in 2020, where he continues to lead an active research group.

Education & Training:

• B.S. in Biology — East Central University, Ada, Oklahoma
• Ph.D. in Genetics & Developmental Biology — UT Southwestern Medical Center
• Post-doctoral Fellowship — Orthopedic Research & Cell Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Research Focus: The Karner laboratory deciphers how cellular metabolism controls cell-fate specification and differentiation during bone development and disease. By integrating genetics, metabolomics, and high-resolution imaging, the lab investigates how nutrient-sensing pathways, amino-acid transporters, and bioenergetic programs govern skeletal stem-cell activity, osteoblast/osteoclast differentiation, and cartilage biology. Key themes include glutaminolysis, oxidative stress regulation, and nutrient transport in both normal skeletal growth and pathological states such as scoliosis, chondrosarcoma, and obesity-related cartilage degeneration.

Professional Service & Affiliations:

• Serves on the Propel Mentorship Program Mentoring Committee, UT Southwestern
• Member — Society for Developmental Biology
• Member — American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
• Member — Orthopaedic Research Society
• Member — Advances in Mineral Metabolism

Laboratory & Team: The Karner Lab is located in the Pak Center for Mineral Metabolism and Clinical Research at UT Southwestern. It comprises post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and research staff who collectively explore metabolic regulation of skeletal biology using mouse genetics, advanced imaging, and biochemical assays. The lab is actively recruiting new trainees and collaborators interested in bone metabolism and developmental biology.